Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-11

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Smoking can cause serious illnesses and should be made illegal.

To what extent do you agree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is often observed that smoking for a prolonged period can result in serious damage to health, which is why prohibiting its sales is a crucial step to take. Since people can hardly recover from the addiction to smoking, it is advised to avoid it entirely even if occasional smoking has less impact.

A common scenario is found that health condition of chain smokers seriously deteriorates and even cause fatality. Irreversible diseases such as lung cancer, throat cancer, blood cancer and brain tumor are the results of continuous smoking. Although serious effects are already visible, people cannot resist smoking in the way they are supposed to. Due to the presence of a chemical named nicotine, which triggers instant pleasure in the brain, individuals often try smoking to ease their stress and anxiety. Nevertheless, the chemical momentarily causes headaches and unpleasant feelings when people skip smoking. Thus, it becomes an unavoidable habit even if the smokers are aware of the negative effects.

To save people from this dangerous addiction, measure should be taken by the authority. Governments can ban the products from market. Additionally, illegal selling and purchasing should be monitored strictly in order to prevent smoking related health issues. Actions such as raids can also be performed frequently in suspected areas where smoking products might be found illegally.

In conclusion, following a strict path in order to eradicate smoking from the roots of the society is an emergency need. Plenty of lives are already under the threat of fatal diseases because of smoking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of banning smoking. However, the development is somewhat limited. While you mention health risks and the addictive nature of nicotine, the argument for 'making it illegal' is not fully explored in terms of the practical implications or potential counter-arguments (such as individual freedom or the black market). The ideas are relevant but could be extended further to reach a higher band. For instance, you could discuss the economic impact or the success of similar bans in other countries to provide more depth to your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use some cohesive devices like 'Nevertheless', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. For example, the transition between the health risks in paragraph two and the government action in paragraph three could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but ensure that your cohesive devices are used to create a more natural progression of thought rather than just acting as signposts.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'prolonged period', 'deteriorates', 'fatality', and 'eradicate'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'prohibiting its sales' (should be 'prohibiting the sale of tobacco') and 'from the roots of the society' (which is slightly unnatural). While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, some phrasing remains basic. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and academic phrases to convey your ideas with greater nuance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'measure should be taken' (needs an article: 'a measure' or 'measures') and 'health condition of chain smokers' (needs an article: 'the health condition'). Additionally, 'in the way they are supposed to' is a bit vague. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to enhance the accuracy of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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